The first of May is May Day. May Day baskets are a tradition that is fading fast from cultural memory. But when we were kids, we still used to make little paper baskets and fill them with flowers. In Minnesota it was rare for there to be much blooming yet besides dandelions, so we’d make paper flowers lovingly clipped from colored construction paper. Then we would “sneak” up to grandma’s farm-house (she lived just up the hill, one house over), hang the basket on the door knob, ring the bell and run away!
Our selection of chocolate truffle flavors this month was chosen to help us celebrate our mothers and the traditions they’ve shared with us. All of May’s chocolate truffle flavors are available at the Chocolate Shop! Check these out:
May’s Seasonal Flavors:
Jamaican Hot Chocolate Truffle – Dark rum was an accidental discovery of the 17th century. Fermenting molasses that was cast off during the sugar refining process evolved into this “hot, hellish liquor”. Add that and more (honey, vanilla, nutmeg and habanero chilis) to a truffle, and you’ve got an unforgettable flavor.
Jasmine Green Truffle – Flowers used to make jasmine green tea are gathered during the darkness of night when their fragrance is most powerful. Culturally significant all over the world, the jasmine flower symbolizes motherhood in Thailand.
Vrai Chai Truffle – Made with black tea steeped with big, chunky pieces of the real deal: 14 herbs, spices, roots, and fruit. This is not some commercially extracted and flavored powder, or a two-dimensional tea and cardamom rip-off. True to tradition, Intrigue uses a complex blend of black tea, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, orange peel, astragalus (ancient Chinese herbal treatment) , cardamom, coriander, galangal (citrusy/piney/earthy aroma, used as an aphrodisiac in Southeast Asia), gingko (memory enhancer), gotu-kola (improves mental clarity), fo-ti (longevity tonic), nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla beans.
Orchid Truffle – Flavored with real vanilla beans, the Orchid truffle emulates the singular specialness of mothers. The vanilla bean is the fruit of an orchid
(Vanilla planifolia), found originally only in Mexico. Vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world, hand harvested from a rare flower that lasts only for one day.
Sweet Raspberry Truffle – Liqueurs are said to be descendant of herbal remedies perfected in ancient monasteries. Raspberries rank high among fruits for their antioxidants, so the raspberry liqueur in these truffles may very well have healing properties!
Saint Basil Truffle – Lovely, fresh and organic basil as usual. From the same herbal family as mint, basil was traditionally used for its medicinal powers to treat stress and other ailments.